Locking means for distributors



June 18,1935. 5, RICK r LOCKING MEANS FOR DISTRIBUTORS Filed Sept. 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet-l June 18, 1935; E. RICK ET AL 2,005,393

,LOCK/ING mams FOR DISTRIBUTORS Filed Sept. 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheetfi Patented June 18, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCKING MEANS FOR DISTRIBUTORS Edward Rick and Joseph Bonnie, Fresno, Calif.

Application September 19, 1934, Serial No. 744,742

15 Claims.

The present invention relates to distributors for internal combustion engines and has for its primary object to provide means for locking the distributor cap against unauthorized removal, to

simultaneously lock the contact points of the distributor out of engagement to positively break the circuit leading to the distributor and to simultaneously short circuit the ignition system should the ignition circuit be bridged around the ignition switch in an efiort to operate the motor while the switch is off or in locked position.

A further object is to provide a mechanism of this character which may be controlled and operated by the ignition switch on the instrument board of a vehicle or which may be operated by means of a key or similar device at the distributor casing.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is efficient and practical in operation,- relatively inexpensive to install in use and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a distributor embodying my invention with the cover cap shown in section,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 2--2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a similar view with the locking cap removed,

Figure 4 is a group perspective view of the cover cap, locking cap and upper surface of the distributor base,

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the locking p,

Figure 6 is a detail of the locking shaft, and

Figure 7 is a detail section showing the grounding wire and terminal carried by the distributor cap.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of our invention, the numeral 5 designates a distributor base of conventional construction having the shaft 6 extending 5o upwardly therethough and upon which is mounted the usual cover cap 1 held in place by the spring clips 8. The distributor base has its upper face provided with a plate 9 which carries the usual make and break contacts In, one of said contacts being carried by a pivoted arm ll nowmally urged into engagement by a spring l2 and moved out of contacting position by the cam surface I3 provided on the upper end of the shaft 6. The construction and operation of such circuit breakers is conventional and accordingly no detailed explanation thereof is deemed necessary.

The plate 9 is also provided with a pair of diametrically oppositely disposed openings [4 having angular extensions l5 at one end for receiving a pair of latches ll depending from the under side of a locking cap IS.

The latches 11 have angular feet 19 formed on their lower ends for entering the extensions ii of the openings I4. A third locking latch 20 is also carried by the cap l8 for entering an opening 2| also formed in the plate 9.

It will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 4 of the drawings that upon the placing of the cap l8 in position with the locking latches inserted in their respective openings, that a partial turn of the cap will move the feet of the lugs under the edge of the plate 9 and accordingly lock the cap in position. This turning of the cap is accomplished by means of an arm 22 also depending from the cap i8 and insertable through a slotted opening 23 of the plate 9 into a recess 24 of a shaft 25 which is journaled in an extension 26 projecting from one side of the easing 5. The shaft 25 may be operated in any suitable manner to cause a partial rotation thereof which, through its connection with the arm 22 will cause a partial rotation of the locking cap I8 to move the latches l1 and 20 into and out of locking position with respect to the distributor plate 9. In the present embodiment of the in vention this rotation of the shaft 25 is accomplished by means of a flexible shaft 21 which extends to the ignition switch for the engine and may be attached to said switch in such a manner that the operation of the switch will produce the desired rotation of the shaft 25.

The locking cap I8 is provided with a central opening 28 through which the shaft 6 extends in order that the usual rotor 29 for the distributor may be mounted thereon above the cap 18, as more clearly illustrated in Figure 1.

Depending from the under side of the cap are a pair of contact locking members 30 which are positioned adjacent the pivoted arms I! of the circuit breaker and normally out of operating engagement therewith. These locking members will engage the arms H to move the contacts l9 and retain the same out of contacting position upon the locking movement of the cap I8 in a clockwise direction, as will be clearly apparent from an inspection of Figure 3 of the drawings.

An arm 3| is pivoted to the plate 9 and extends upwardly through a guide 32 secured to the inner side of the cap is with its upper end projecting above the cap through an opening 33. The greater portion of the arm 3| is provided with an insulated sleeve 34 leaving the upper extremity of the arm exposed as shown at 35. This exposed end of the arm is adapted to contact a pin 36 projecting from the inner wall of the cover cap 1 when the cap l8 has been moved into its locked position. The pin 36 is connected to the central terminal of the distributor by means of an em bedded wire 38 whereby it will be apparent that the current entering the distributor will begrounded through the casing 5 when the device is in locked position. The lockingcap I8 is provided with a pair of locking pins 39 projecting outwardly from the opposite sides thereof for entering in bayonet slots Mi formed in the inner walls of the cover cap 1.

Accordingly the locking movement of the lookble cable 21 for operating the shaft 25 a key control lock may be mounted in the extension 26 for accomplishing the desired locking and unlocking movement of said shaft.

'We claim:

l. A distributor lock comprising a base, a cover cap thereon, a locking cap enclosed bysaid cover cap and mounted for bodily movement independent of the base and cover cap, and latch means between the locking cap and the base, said latch means being operable by the bodily movement of said locking cap. I

2. A distributor lock comprising a base, a cover cap thereon, a locking cap mounted for bodily movement upon the base, latch means between the base and the locking cap and operable by the bodily movement of the latter, and means operable outwardly of the base for'causing the bodily movement of the locking cap.

3. A distributor lock comprising a base, a cover cap thereon, a locking cap mounted for bodily movement upon the base, latch'means between the base and the locking cap and operable by the bodily movement or the latter, a locking mechanism between the cover cap andthe locking cap and also operable by the bodily movement of the latter, and means operable outwardly of the base for causing the bodily movement of the locking cap.

4. A distributor lock comprising a base, a cover cap thereon, a locking cap enclosedby said cover cap and mounted for bodily movement on said base, pin and slot locking connections between the cover cap and locking cap and between the locking cap and the base, and operable'upon the bodily movement of the locking cap, and means operable outwardly of the base for causing the bodily movement of the locking cap. I

5. A distributor lock comprising a base, a cover cap thereon, a locking cap enclosed by said cover cap and mounted for bodilymovement on said base, locking means for the cover cap and the locking cap and operable by the bodily move- ;ment of the latter and means carried by the locking cap for securing the contact points of the distributor out of engagement when said locking cap is in locked position.

6. A distributor lock comprising a base, a cov er cap thereon, a locking cap enclosed by the cover cap and mounted for bodily movement on the base, and a plurality of locking mechanisms cap and mounted for bodily movement on the base, locking mechanisms operable by the bodily movement of the locking cap for locking both of said caps and arms carried by the locking cap for moving the contact points of the distributor out of engagement during said cap locking movement.

8. A distributor lock comprising a base, a cover cap thereon, a locking cap enclosed by the cover cap and mounted for bodily movement on the base, locking mechanisms operable by the bodily movement of the locking cap for locking both of said caps and armscarried by the locking cap for moving the contact points of the distributor out of engagement during said cap locking movement and means operable outwardly of the base for causing the bodily movement of the locking cap.

9. A distributor lock comprising a base, a cover cap thereon, a locking cap enclosed by the cover cap and mounted for bodily movement on the base, means for locking said caps, means for grounding the electric circuit of the distributor, both of said means being responsive upon the movement of said locking cap and means operable outwardly of the base for causing the bodily movement of the locking cap.

10. A distributor lock comprising a base, a cover cap thereon, a locking cap enclosed by the cover cap and mounted for bodily movement on the base, means for locking said caps, means for locking the contact points of the distributor out of engagement, means for grounding the electric circuit of the distributor, all of said means being responsive upon the movement of said looking cap, and means operable outwardly of the distributor for causing the bodily movement of the locking cap. I

11. A distributor lock comprising a base, a cover cap thereon, a locking cap enclosed by the cover cap and mounted for bodily movement on the base, means for locking said caps, means for locking the contact points of the distributor out of engagement, means for grounding the electric circuit of the distributor, all of said means being responsive upon the movement of said locking cap, and means operable outwardly of the distributor for causing the bodily movement of the locking cap, said circuit grounding means comprising a projection carried by the cover cap having a circuit connection with the lead in terminal of the distributor, an arm pivoted to the base, and guide means on the locking cap for swinging said arm into and out of engagement with the pin upon the locking and unlocking movement of the cap.

12. A distributor lock comprising a base hav-- ing aplurality of angular slotted openings therein, a cover cap thereon, a locking cap enclosed by the cover cap and mounted for bodily move ment on the base, a plurality of angular latches carried by the locking cap and inserted in said openings, a pin and slot connection between said caps, and means operable outwardly of the distributor for causing the bodily movement of the locking cap whereby to lock the caps to each other and to lock the locking cap to the base.

13. A distributor lock comprising a base having a plurality of angular slotted openings therein, a cover cap thereon, a locking cap enclosed by the cover cap and mounted for bodily movement on the base, a plurality of angular latches carried by the locking cap and inserted in said openings, a pin and slot connection between said caps, and means for producing a bodily movement of the locking cap and comprising a shaft projecting from the base and an operating connection between the shaft and the locking cap.

14. A distributor lock comprising a base, a cover cap thereon, a locking cap enclosed by the cover cap and mounted for bodily movement on the base, recesses in the base and cover cap, locking members rigidly carried by the locking cap and engageable with the recesses for locking the caps to each other and for locking one of the caps to the base upon such bodily movement of the looking cap and means operable outwardly of the distributor for causing such bodily movement.

15. In a. distributor, a metal base, a cover cap of insulating material carrying an electric terminal for a lead-in cable, a rotating contact arm having constant electrical connection with said terminal, a member within the distributor rotatable from a point outside thereof, and a switch device within the distributor independent of said rotating contact and including a second terminal electrically connected with the first terminal, and a cooperating switch arm having electrical connection with the base and movable by rotation of the member into contact with the second terminal to thereby ground the circuit entering the distributor through the first terminal.

EDWARD RICK. JOSEPH BONNIE. 

